Gender Equality Virgin Islands Project #1883

Global Educational Empowerment for 100,000 Girls

by Sisterhood Agenda, Inc.

Project Report | Dec 29, 2017
Moving Forward: Recovering & Rebuilding for Success

By Angela D. Coleman | Founding President

At Sisterhood Agenda, we have not been sitting still. We have been jumping over hurdles and scaling walls to make progress toward our mission, despite the damage and hardships caused by Hurricane Irma. Our efforts are being rewarded. The women and girls that we work with are too valuable and our work is too important to stop now.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us and is continuing to contribute to Sisterhood Agenda's Hurricane Irma Relief campaign. We certainly need your assistance like never before and you have come through for us!

Sisterhood Agenda team members have been working with federal, local, and private agencies to assist those most in need on the island of St. John. After doing immediate disaster relief work with several entities, energy is slowly being directed to rebuilding efforts.

Building materials have to be imported to the island and there are those who are thinking ahead. For example, one of the agencies, Angels of Asheville, is committed to bringing donated building materials to St. John from private donors via shipping container from Asheville, North Carolina.

With our heightened resilience, Sisterhood Agenda is now building a newer, stronger foundation for success. Largely due to our committed network of support, we have been able to set up an administrative base in the U.S. for consistent mobile and Internet services and better access to our stateside global partners while the island of St. John, the location of our SEA: Sisterhood Empowerment Academy, recovers. In addition, our builder is committed to rebuild the roof, walls, plus install the doors and windows that were destroyed during the storm. Of course, our efforts towards this goals are affected by funds and building materials that are available to us.

We are in the process of converting Sisterhood Agenda's print library, which was destroyed by the hurricane, to a digital library that can be accessed via Sisterhood Agenda's website, https://sisterhoodagenda.com/.

We are excited to bring our work to the next level-training, counseling, and working with other groups and individuals committed to serving women and girls. Successful resolution of sexual harassment, gender inequality, violence against women and trauma, while promoting unity in diversity, health and healing in the spirit of sisterhood is what we are all about. We could not do it withhout you.

Stay tuned as we continue to move forward... to success.

Warm Regards,
Angela D. Coleman

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Sep 27, 2017
Hurricane Irma Relief on St. John

By Angela D. Coleman | Founding President

Sisterhood Agenda needs your help with our new Hurricane Irma Relief project. Like many businesses and residents on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, Sisterhood Agenda and our new SEA: Sisterhood Empowerment Academy were hit hard by Hurricane Irma ealier this month. Essential services such as government offices, banking, and the post office remain closed and the island is without power and cell service. Half of the residents on St. John have left the small island.

Our SEA eco-headquarters took a beating when part of the roof was blown away, along with three exterior walls, 4 sets of patio doors and several windows. While our eco suites are intact, Sisterhood Agenda offices are closed as we implement relief stategies for our team and begin fundraising for the rebuilding process.

Our computers, and media center (tv, router, etc.) were destroyed in the storm. Sisterhood Agenda's library of books and training materials had to be discarded due to mold.

Already, there are small yet significant improvements in Wifi access and cell phone service. Generators and tarps and being used to keep the momentum moving forward.

We are happy to be alive and able to use our minds, bodies, and spirits to continue serving women and girls around the world the best way that we can.

We are beginning the Sisterhood Agenda Hurricane Relief project to bring immedate attention to St. John and the need for the type of unique services that we offer. On a small island, it is easy to take many conveniences and opportunities for granted. Like so many of us here, our immediate needs include:

Generator
Work vehicle
Canned food
Dry food
Coolers
Computer
Wireless router
Satellite cell phone
Batteries
Water

We are also coordinating a small team of volunteers to come to St. John later this year for rebuilding. Our rebuilding efforts include:

Roof repair
Solar power systems (portable)
Patio doors, 8 feet
Lumber
Windows
Interior doors

We can certainly put all donations, large and small, to good use now as we prepare to rebuild for training.

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Jun 9, 2017
The SEA Strategy

By Angela D. Coleman | Founding President

SEA: Sisterhood Empowerment Academy

The SEA is expanding to reach more girls in more U.S. states and countries. Sisterhood Agenda is currently fundraising to create SEA's in other communities of need, thus reaching more girls in diverse communities.

Inspired by Mother Nature, the ultimate source of feminine power, the SEA: Sisterhood Empowerment Academy is Sisterhood Agenda's eco-headquarters. The SEA empowers women and girls as a community base of knowledge, support, self-determination, and healing. More than an institution, it is an investment in female empowerment, a beacon of enlightenment that promotes gender equality, self-sufficiency, and health; all in the spirit of sisterhood.

Sustainable design and nature-inspired architecture are hallmarks of the SEA. History and research shows us that communities cannot operate independent of their environment. The SEA incorporates permaculture design and premier local natural building materials while complimenting the surrounding natural environment to build a sustainable building for LEED certification or equivalent standards. Permaculture designers are encouraged to develop awareness of the patterns that exist in nature, how they function, and how they can be utilized to satisfy the objectives of the SEA.

In addition to the sustainable building process and design, the SEA is created to be economically empowering and self-sustaining by including income-generation processes as an integral part of its creation. Economic empowerment opportunities with the SEA include, but are not limited to, income generated from: short- and long-term housing rentals, business space rentals, local product development with global sales, and recycling materials. For example, Sisterhood Agenda’s SEA model, located in a the tourist economy of St. John, USVI, includes the short-term rental of two residential eco-suites. It is important that local empowerment strategies remain organic to respond to the needs of local women and girls who know what works best for them and to position them to take advantage of local market conditions.

The next step is to scale, building SEA’s in other communities. Sisterhood Agenda has thousands of established partnerships with agencies focused on empowering women and girls, including those in remote geographic regions. To identify low-income economies with the greatest gender equality needs, Sisterhood Agenda will look to its partners, the Gender Inequality Index (GII) with its Global Gender Gap measurement, and the World Bank Atlas. Standardized SEA assessment tools will yield valuable insights.

Links:

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